Once Compelled
by The Demented ClownFish
Summary: She's been molded by moonlight and stardust, sent away to find a solution but constantly reminded where her heart is. Back home. Until she meets a dark hearted vampire with nothing but bad intentions and a tongue smooth enough to cure world hunger. She needs to fight her own battles, but will she ever question whether or not all of them are necessary? OOC 16
1. Prologue

**Prologue **

Blood.

Blood and murder, a messy affair with death as the only possible outcome.

How I had ended up here, I had no idea and how I got myself away from the situation I didn't know.

I didn't even know if that was a possibility any more.

I just knew that he was chasing me,

and the fact that I would never see the fields filled with greens or the sunrise from my bedroom window saddened me, but it grieved me that he was the one doing the chasing. He wanted me put down.

I just wanted his kindness.


	2. Predictable

Hello and welcome to this ride of compulsive weird behavior and slight mystery. I intent for this story to take you on a ride of highs and lows; a road trip filled with too much tequila and heart-ache. It will most likely be a pest to read but also a story of high moral and difficult choices that will leave you crying of joy (I of course can't promise you this, but in all honesty I'm already weeping a bit just thinking about what's to come.) Just always know that I along with you, will be reading this and hoping that our leading lady will end up happy.

ALSO this first chapter will be moving quick and not be as detailed as the rest of the story will be, this is mostly due to the fact that I want some themes and character introduced without spending 10 pages doing so as we need this ball to get rolling!

Happy reading! xx

* * *

Chapter 1

-o-

Charlie had supported me a great deal during the last months of horrible events and grief, but he still didn't understand me.

He was my father by blood, but stranger by heart. A stranger with good intentions mind you, but I didn't need forced compassion I needed understanding and love. The past months had been filled with so much sadness and heartache that I was surprised that I was still standing up.

My mother and stepfather had been killed by a brutal murderer who saw no need to spare them torture, bite marks and slithed hand wrists had been my reality when I was asked to identify them at the morgue – their heads had been damaged to the point of being uregocnizeable. My friends at the local high school had been devastated by these news and tried to show compassion and love, but they couldn't fully understand what had happened, they just thought that it was some psychotic person on the loose, out on a random killing spree.

I however knew the truth.

An so did the people of the underworld.

-o-

"Bella I've been thinking, you don't need to go to school. I can a get a private tutor for you, and you can be home schooled. I can understand if the trauma is too great for you, honey."

I looked up at the concerned brown eyes and saw nothing but plead. I too wanted nothing more but to be home schooled for the rest of my life, to burry my head in my pillow and let all my anger and sadness get whisked away by the eternal pools of dreaming and fairy tales. It just didn't suit my plan too well.

"Dad, I need to get out."

"I know darling, but it just might be too much too soon."

I just smiled at him; there was nothing more to be said. It would always be too much for the rest of my life; time wasn't a factor I cared about.

"I'll call you if I find myself regretting the decision."

He looked at me with regret, but he must have understood that I wanted to go to school. He just didn't know why.

"Okay."

When I found myself in the parking lot the morning after I regretted not going to bed the night earlier, as a result I was tired and moody.

I needed to go in and register myself, but I just didn't have the patience for small town ladies who wanted a little gossip over their morning tea, I did however decide against not doing it and therefor found myself five minutes late to class as the lady, to my prediction, wanted to have a little catch-up on how my life had been up until now. Just perfect.

Knocking on the door to English lit my stomach turned, and the actuality of what I was doing settled into my every bone.

Before I could turn around and run away the door opened and I was suddenly facing a very average looking old lady, with a big smile on her face and kind eyes.

"Isabella, I was thinking you might have been running off or maybe not turning up at this point, but I'm very pleased to meet you."

She grabbed my hand and shook it, hers was soft and sort of wrinkly but her body warmth could be felt and I appreciated the warm welcome.

"Yes, Mrs Cooper at the registration office was a bit slow with my papers. My apologies."

She then sort of dragged me into a very standard looking classroom and asked the class to welcome me; she pointed out each individual and asked them to tell me something about themselves and their name. Some responded with mundane facts like "I enjoy baking, particularly cupcakes", others wanted to appear cool and gave me a short "I like listening to music" whilst one stunning blonde pale guy named Esben stated that he had an interest in the occult and that very Shakespeare was overrated.

"To finish it off, what's special about you Isabella? Any special interests?"

I wanted to not answer, because I didn't know. But something had to be said, so I just answered very simply.

"I love solving puzzles and mysteries, I find great entertainment in the crime genre and by extension solving murders."

Esbens head snapped up and he looked at me with sudden found interest, rightly so.

-o-

"Isabella, you can sit with me for lunch if you don't have any plans." Said Mike whom I'd met during the last class, which to my big regret had been biology. Mike looked mildly dull, but was obviously one of the prettier boys at this school, which in turn made him think himself to be way more exotic than he actually was.

"Oh, thanks. I actually have to make a quick phone call before going in, but I'll definitely try to find you."

He smiled a big toothy smile and nodded his head way to eagerly. This boy's excitement over my maybe-yes was scary.

As I made my way out to the parking lot I saw a few other pale figures in the distance, their body movements fast and their expression unreadable. But even from this far away I could see the beauty. Cold like stone, modelled like statues.

Before a minute passed my phone was ringing, as he had promised to.

"Hello, Isabella speaking."

"Everything under control?" His voice was distressed, and the subtle nervousness in his voice wasn't easily detected. But I knew him. And I knew what he wanted.

"Sort of."

"What does that mean?"

I looked at the group of white creatures, but found it confusing that they hadn't approached me yet. Alexander had said they would.

"It means that my day hasn't gone like Alex expected it to."

At this point the nervousness in his voice was replaced with confusion.

"So you're saying wonder boy got it wrong and you're all right?"

"I was never not all right, Will."

He sighed, and the distance between was for the first time this semester the most frustrating and heart-breaking thing.

"It's just so weird not having you right here."

"It had to be done, you know this."

"Yes, I'll call you tomorrow. Same time."

I put my phone down and started to walk into the cafeteria, I glanced back and saw that the group had gone off leaving no trace of them ever having been there.

I thought it best to just go in and find Mike and please him by sitting at his table, whilst I was here I might as well make some allies.

-o-

Later that day I was lounging on the sofa reading a paper on the differences between the various intelligences one person possessed, when Charlie came in the front door looking very distressed.

He walked in and called my name, and apparently seeing me all cozied up in a blanket made him relax a great deal, the frown on his forehead did however not disappear completely.

"Sweetie, you need to be a bit careful when you go about town, okay? Things have been a bit weird around here for a little while, pets and possessions being taken from homes and cars suddenly vanishing…"

"What do you mean weird around for a while?"

He looked noticeably distressed and his body languages spoke volumes about things he did not care to clarify.

"Just that you need to be careful."

"Okay… Do you know what might have caused this?"

But I knew, and the answer he could or would not even be remotely close to the truth. It was that time of year where underwater creatures would crawl cities near the ocean thin, and with their slimy fingers take whatever they wanted, not understanding the hurt and frustration they would give the local people.

"Probably some punks trying to get something or someone to pay them a ransom. I don't know, but just don't go anywhere far away without letting me know, okay?"

"OK."

-o-

Later that evening I called William again to let him know of the disturbances that Charlie had been dealing with recently.

"So what you're saying is that you've been dealing with the sea people?"

"No, not I."  
"I don't understand, why are you concerned then. They'll know you. Recognize you, what do you fear?"

"Unnecessary losses."

"Isa, there are greater things that worry me then some slimy little underlings."

"I know, but it just frustrates me."

William appeared to be bored by our conversation, not because he didn't care about my worries but because he didn't understand them. To him humans such as Charlie and other ordinary people were like insects, necessary for the nature to prevail and blossom, but nothing to get emotional invested in.

"Why bother though, they aren't going to harm the person you nicknamed 'Dad' they smell you on him. They see the mark."

"You know better than me that a mark means nothing when hunger takes over."

I didn't even know why I was dragging this out, I was just frustrated that the day hadn't gone as planned and that I know had to deal with random visits from creatures that I just didn't have the patience to deal with.

"Just don't think about it too much, if they try anything I'll be there. I'll tell Alex to keep an eye out for your_ father_. Also I think you'll get visitors tonight, so be ready."

I already knew that some of them would come tonight, why they hadn't approached me I didn't know, but vampires were after all not the most predictable of beings.

"Thanks, remember to call me tomorrow. I ought to have news…"


	3. All I see is gold

Chapter 2, here we gooo.

I looked out my window to find a pair of golden eyes starring at me, if I'd been an ordinary human I would probably have died from a sudden heart attack, luckily I wasn't.

The man sitting on the branch just above my window knocked on it to get it open, I unlocked the hooks and looked out to see what he looked like.

"You expected me," he simply said, his voice bearing a slight roughness due to his accent, but was accompanied well by the smoothness of a vampire tongue. His face was of course beautiful; seemingly a masterpiece of well-done architecture but his fangs and glowing eyes gave away his true nature.

"Yes, or at least someone." I said as I opened the window up completely thus making the opening big enough for me to jump out. I landed on the ground with a slight bump and gave signal for my visitor to come down.

"You have classes with my nephew, Esben. He told me about you."

"True…" The man looked me up and down, confusion evident in his eyes. He touched his head with one hand and looked a bit more intensely at me. His stance showed nothing but curiosity, but I knew what he would ask and I hadn't decided yet if I wanted to give him all the information he would seek.

"I heard about you arrival, what are you doing in this town, this is not something you could possibly be interested in.."

"I don't give all my secrets away the first time I meet someone, do you?"

At this he laughed, he walked a bit closer to me so that we where now standing about one meter away from each other. He spent some time smelling me, which undoubtedly was rude, but to be fair I kind of expected worse from a vampire.

"No madam, that you are right in. what's your name?"

"Your nephew didn't tell you?"

"Oh, he told me you enjoy a little puzzle. But I think you also enjoy making people feel, puzzled? Yes puzzled, by your looks and smell. You are a very rare breed of some moon creature." his stare was like worms trying to dig into my skin, and I could feel his words drizzling down my body like water drops.

"I know how to block petty attacks, so drop it." At this he looked most amused.

"You felt it? Funny." he looked at me right in the eye, this time much more intensely "I'm sorry for my poor manners, _Isabella_, my names is Aaron."

I grabbed his outreached hand and gave it a light squeeze, this cold stone hand was a big contrast the old lady hand full of warmth I'd shook a few hours prior to this encounter.

"It's fine, how many of you are here anyway?"

At this point he'd started to walk around me in a circle.

"Many."

I looked at him irritated.

"How many?"

He smiled a playful smile creating more frustration.

"Wouldn't you like to play a game, I'll tell you if you win?"

"No."

He leaned in a whispered softly into my ear, "then, too many for you to handle by yourself, _Dux Ducis_."

At this point he walked a great amount of steps away from me.

"We're coming, and like your little friend predicted we will find you. And we will fight you. You have no claim to these fields any longer and any struggle or fight for it will be futile, four covens house these lands and you my little _Dux Ducis_ will not be able to accommodate all of our needs and make us submissive to your services. This is no mans land, girl."

I was angered by his small-minded view on the world, if he thought I was here to claim land for my kind he was wrong. I had on desire or need, to live in a cold town with no visitors in America. Like he said I was a rare mix of majestic creatures, so even if I decided to take them all on, I would win, not because of superior strength, but because I had the authority to do it.

"Aaron, you must have lost some common sense under your transformation?"

He looked me and snarled, this conversation had gone from bad to worse in a matter of seconds.

"Are you suggesting that I'm stupid?"

"No, just very silly. If you know who and what I am, what a puzzling behaviour to challenge me, to challenge my authority."

He looked a bit taken aback at this, confused and irritated.

"You have no authority here!"

At this he was gone leaving only a gust of wind and my mind spinning faster than light.

-o-

I woke up startled and irritated, after my last visitor I was in no mood for a new companion, but the intense tapping on my window was frustrating and whichever idiot decided that it was a good idea needed to get their compulsive side checked.

I looked out and saw nothing but the moon, taking a minute to appreciate the beauty of it leading me to think of my childhood, I was soon welcoming the irritation back as the schmuck kept throwing little rocks at my window.

Angered I threw on my robe, and left the bed. I opened the window like last time and quietly jumped down.

"Show yourself, _imbecillus." _

A large vampire jumped down from the tree, he was bulky and looked like he could be hell fighting against, his torso was grand and his paleness was illuminated by the moon. He walked up to me and extended his hand.

"Hello, I'm Emmett."

"Isabella."

I shook his hand lightly and then let it go.

"What on earth are you doing breaking my window in?"

"I just wanted to see you up close, 'the tyrant' as Aaron so nicely put it."

I looked at him oddly and then laughed. Aaron the low life must have thought it be a good idea to warn the other covens against me, they clearly weren't from the same because Aaron smelled like so many vampires others that this Emmett character didn't.

"You could say that, Aaron isn't my biggest fan."

He laughed fast and hard and then smiled at me. This vampire I liked better.

"Most certainly not…"

I knew by this point that I would have to go out and speak with each coven, there could be no more random visits here making the vampires believe that they had an upper hand. If they started acting like there was no hierarchy, the sea people would definitely not take kindly to a possible request of more controlled behaviour. This would also mean I could get to know the clans, and in time ask questions them about their vampire acquaintances ultimately leading me to one who knew about the planned murder on my _mother_.

"But really, you're not just here to see me. You did that in school today."

A flash of delight crossed his face as realized I had seen him.

"Well, your smell threw us off for a while so Alice, Rose and I had to go home and ask Carlisle what was up with your funky aroma."

I wondered whom this Carlisle person was, did he know what I was or was he the leader of the coven, maybe both? But one thing was certain, when this Emmett person mentioned Carlisle's name his face lit up with pride. Proud of what exactly I was curios.

"So did Carlisle tell you about me?"

"Yes, but very vaguely. He said to not anger you, but he didn't know for sure. Aaron tried to tell us you pretended to be a stardust runner, but in reality had the heart and mind of a demon."

I walked away from him, not masking my immediate frustration very well.

"Aaron, insipiens est. Et ponet faciem suam ut cito stultum questae!"

"What?"

I turned around and looked at him again, head slightly tilted.

"What do you think of Aaron? Reliable? Power hungry? Friendly?"

Emmett looked noticeably more uncomfortable his stance slightly bending backwards and he now looked into the darkness of the forest just right next to us.

"I… I don't know. I mean he's okay and all, but he's a vampire. He enjoys his solitude with his little family. He's a wealthy man and sometimes reasonable, but can also be a bit quick to jump the gun-"

I interrupted him as I heard more people would be joining, they were running too fast for a human but not as fast as I would have expected vampires could run.

"Stop talking."

Out of the forest came two more vampires running, Emmett looked confused at first but then he smiled and waved at the two newcomers. The short one could be confused with an angry Chihuahua with the look she was posing at the moment, her features were miniature but pretty – she was after all a vampire. The male standing next to her was blonde, but he wasn't scowling like his companion he mostly looked confused. He too bore the beauty that came with vampirism well, the thing that made him stand out and make him more interesting than the rest of the pale hunters I'd met during the day were his scars. All over his body.

"You know these two, _venator pallens_?"

"Yes, but you need to stop insulting me in some weird language, I mean come on!"

I laughed at him; he seemed so friendly compared to my previous encounters with vampires. Most of them shied away sensing my power, but he, he talked to me like I was normal and not some mythical creed.

"Emmett, she called you 'pale hunter' it's latin, read some books friend."

I looked at the blonde vampire surprised that he seemed more educated than the average vamp, no offence towards Emmett of course.

"Thanks for the tip, brother." The larger vampire said laughing.

"Assuming that you three are from the same coven, you might pass this information on to the rest of your _household_."

All three looked at me, eyes clear and facial expression focused. Even if they didn't seem it, they still feared a possible attack from me. I could feel it. Smell it. See it.

"I do not want any of you rummaging around my father's land. He is of no purpose or importance to you, so getting close to him will be seen as a threat to my authority. If you need to get in contact with me, I'll be around."

The threesome nodded, the two newcomers did however seem more hesitating that Emmett, but that was expected. I looked around in the little clearing and noticed several eyes resting on our little midnight meet up. I didn't need to call the other vampires out, surely they would have gotten my message and if not they would be dumb to challenge me now, in the moonlight.

"And please, tell this Carlisle of yours that he should be expecting a visit from me soon. I need to ask him a few but important things."


End file.
